Category: Boatbuilders and restorers

Professional and amateur boat builders and restorers

How to build a 1930s British sharpie, part II

Here’s a chapter from Sutton on how to make the sail for the standing lug version of his 1930s British sharpie, to go with my previous post about how to build the boat and spars.

The sail is a 92sqft standing lug job that could easily find it’s way into a design today, if anyone out there needs one of that size. There’s some nice details here; for example, in the main diagram the mast stays are fixed by lanyards rather than a turnbuckles, and, of course, all bolt ropes must be sewn to the port side of the sail.

Sutton sail Sutton sail Sutton sail Sutton sail

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Fireballs at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall

Fireballs

Fireballs

Allèz, a Fireball trapeze dinghy built by Jack Chippendale will feature at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth for the next two months.

Designed by Peter Milne in 1962, the International Fireball is a high performance one-design sailing dinghy. Milne’s intention was to create a boat that was cheap, simple to build and maintain, but with exciting performance – the single-chine hull is designed for planing at low speeds (it is said to plane at just 8 knots) and is scow-shaped. Usually sailed by a crew of two, it has a trapeze and a symmetric spinnaker.

First reviewed by Yachts & Yachting in March 1962, the Fireball was an immediate success. By May of that year, 73 sets of plans had been sold for self- build, and at least one company was selling complete boats for £188. Continue reading “Fireballs at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall”

Progress shots of the revenue cutter Alert

Alert

Alert Alert Alert

Alert Alert Alert

Alert Alert
Alert

Will Stirling of Cutters & Luggers has kindly sent us a fantastic set of pictures of his current project Alert, which he recently launched without the aid of a crane.

‘I made sheer legs, well stayed fore and aft with a wheel bolted on each. The boat unmasted and without ballast weighs about ten tons.

‘I jacked her down off her keel blocks on to short lengths of scaffolding pole, and then Continue reading “Progress shots of the revenue cutter Alert”